


They Should Have Known

by Such_Writing



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, I plan to use a Beta at the earliest convenience, I'm so sorry, It was a lazy title, My first RSS, Not Beta'd, Rumbelle Secret Santa 2019 (Once Upon a Time), first fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:22:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21895846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Such_Writing/pseuds/Such_Writing
Summary: My first RSS and it's for MareyShelley. ...Oh, also the first full story I've ever posted, so...there's that.Belle says something that hits a nerve with Gold and he reveals just how terrible the town believes him to be, monikers and all. Belle sees things differently...for the most part.
Relationships: Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold
Comments: 6
Kudos: 24





	They Should Have Known

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mareyshelley](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mareyshelley/gifts).



For weeks the garish green and red posters had been taped across lampposts, displayed in shop windows, and placed beneath the windshield wiper of every citizen’s car. At this point he wasn’t sure they hadn’t posted one on every tree in Tulgey Forest! 

Aside from shoving the affair down his throat, Gold hated the flyers on both design and principle. A tacky, clip art rendering of Santa Claus had been photoshopped to appear holding an equally cheap graphic of a magnifying glass. Meanwhile the information beside it featured an obnoxiously jolly typeface that left no doubt Sydney Glass had a hand in making the flyers. 

If he were being his usual, brutally honest self, Gold wouldn’t have hesitated to tell anyone who dared ask if he was attending the event that it was neither the free clip-art nor the font that had offended him so greatly. Instead, it was simply that the only reason the advertised, “First Annual Storybrooke Scavenger Hunt!!!” had even resulted as a city-wide event, was due to the Mayor Mills seat being challenged for the first time in eight years. It was a campaign tactic and a city fundraiser all rolled into one, dressed up to remind the citizens of Storybrooke just how much fun their current Mayor made their little city. A ploy for their continued support and votes; nothing more. It didn’t matter if he was the only man in town who didn’t attend; he’d had no problem being seen as the town recluse and he refused to be a pawn in any of Regina’s games.

However, when the only opportunity to express his thoughts clearly presented itself, it was to Ms. French, the city librarian. Despite how other citizens in the town may have taken to her, in the seven months since she had moved to the little apartment beneath the Storybrooke clocktower, Gold was certain of exactly one thing: Belle French could never be categorized as “Anyone.”

She had stepped into his shop at precisely three o’clock that afternoon if the cuckoo clock near the back of the shop front was to be trusted. From her unnervingly high-heeled shoes to the bright blue hue of her eyes, Gold was transfixed, but never so much as on her smile. 

Other than Jefferson, no one entered the shop without an ulterior motive and attitude. Whether sorrow when they were pawning off an item, trepidation when asking for a loan, or contempt when barging onto his property to say what a terrible beast of a man they thought him to be, a smile was never part of the equation. When Jefferson began regularly entering Gold’s establishment with a broad smile plastered across the lower half of his face, Gold was sure he had determined the reason with full accuracy: He was an idiot. Belle, however, had visited the shop once each week for the last five months and each time she left he was certain: She was a beautiful enigma.

Feeling the corners of his lips turn up automatically in her presence, Gold acknowledged her with a small nod before commenting, “Belle, it’s a pleasure to see you in my shop on a Wednesday. Was there a problem with the last book I returned?”

Belle halted half way to the counter he stood behind her smile faltering for the briefest of seconds, just long enough for him to notice. 

“I’m sorry, is something the matter?” He added.

Taking a deep breath to center herself, Belle shook her head gently and pressed forward.

“No, I only thought you might be happy since,” she stumbled over her words, “since nothing. I mean, no. No, there’s no matter, or problem...or, whatever. Naturally, you assumed I was here for your book. Why else would I see you?”

She looked flushed and it was not the first time Gold had noticed how rosy her cheeks became when they were alone, together in his shop. He made a mental note to lower the thermostat for her regularly scheduled arrival later in the week per the library’s complimentary due-date pick-up service.

Her fingers toyed with the edges of the glass counter that stood between them and he desperately wished to reach out and touch her hand, curious if it felt as he had imagined. Not that he regularly thought about how her hand would feel in his, of course. He gripped the handle of his cane tighter in self-admonishment for not responding sooner when he met her gaze and realized he had been staring longer than appropriate.

“Yes, well,” he coughed. “Why indeed?”

“Actually,” Belle spoke, injecting regular, human interaction into their conversation, “I noticed you hadn’t purchased your ticket for the First Annual Storybrooke Scavenger Hunt.”

“My ticket?” He heard himself question, lamely.

“Yes. It’s just that, mornings are pretty slow at the library lately and since each of the city employees are required to help with the Hunt, I told Mayor Mills I’d check over the list to ensure everyone who signed up had picked up their ticket and the necessary information.”

“And I had signed up?” He was lost and his voice reflected it.

He hadn’t signed up, was certain of it, in fact. So…

“Well, not quite. You see…you’re the only citizen in town who hasn’t.” 

Of course he was. It was isolating when the whole town spread their rumors behind his back, but to have it so obviously confirmed for Belle was simply embarrassing. 

“Ah yes, another check against the infamous Mr. Gold,” he replied scathingly, a flourish of his hand for show. 

“Town recluse, Beast of Storybrooke, and loan shark, isn’t it? Yes, I do believe that’s the current score, so why not add miserly-old Scrooge to the list?”

His words were biting, but the exhaustion that accompanied them was too common, as if he would have said this to himself whether or not she been there to hear it. In his growing familiarity with the librarian, Gold had removed the mask of indifference and revealed the true darkness of his insecurities.

“You know,” she whispered low, cautiously beginning to make her way around the counter, “I’ve never believed any of that.”

Gold’s brow was lined with a mixture of shame for his actions and disbelief at her words as she continued to step softly towards him with the same gentleness a person might use when trying to coax a deer closer.

“No?” His voice was no louder than a breath, but he was certain she was close enough now to hear it all the same.  
A small smile played at the edges of her lips as she looked up at him through her lashes. “No.”

She reached out then, lifting the hand that rested topmost on his cane between her own and his eyes grew wide as she continued.

“I think they pushed you away when you were already lonely.”

Slowly, she began rubbing her thumb across his knuckles, “I see that they ask you for money and all you require in return is fairness, which they’re eager to exploit. That’s hardly a loan shark by my definition.”

He shut his eyes, willing away the apparition he was sure he must have conjured once again, this time speaking words even his own mind wouldn’t dare to dream her speak.

Certain she knew exactly what he was thinking, she bit down on her lip to keep from laughing when he opened his eyes to see her still standing in front of him, holding his hand.

“I’m still here,” she lightly teased.

“Belle…I don’t deserve this, you. And you! What will you say when they find out you’re here, with the inexcusable Beast and Scrooge of Storybrooke?”

“Oh, Gold. I’ve given you plenty of time to see it. Is it really so unbelievable to you?” The hurt from her admonishment was whisked away as she tenderly pressed her lips to his hand in a kiss.

His confusion, apparently, was still intact, and she couldn’t help but smile ruefully as she started to explain, “Just like you, they should’ve known all along…”

Pressing up on her toes, she moved to whisper the final bit beside his ear, “Both had a woman who loved them, named Belle.”

The next display of affection was entirely initiated by Gold as he turned his head to catch her lips with his. Unlike her own tentative actions, his were not in any way restrained and she couldn’t have minded in the least.

**Author's Note:**

> This was my first ever attempt at RSS. I received the prompts, "Forest, Darkness, Searching," and "Hand-holding" Thursday evening and WAY overshot. The fic you just read was actually the third of my attempts (the firsts got carried away and will hopefully be fleshed out at a later time). Even this was meant to end on a completely different note, have multiple chapters of UST, lots of Jefferson and Ruby shipping these two (just as MareyShelley requested), and actually feature the Hunt...but it's quite literally the eleventh hour and I've made its darling recipient wait far too long.


End file.
